Scotland have qualified for the FIFA World Cup on eight occasions and the UEFA European Championship twice, but have never progressed beyond the first group stage of a finals tournament. The last major tournament they qualified for was the 1998 World Cup. The team have achieved some noteworthy results, such as beating the 1966 FIFA World Cup winners England 3–2 at Wembley Stadium in 1967. Archie Gemmill scored what has been described as one of the greatest World Cup goals ever in a 3–2 win during the 1978 World Cup against the Netherlands, who reached the final of the tournament.[7] In their qualifying group for UEFA Euro 2008, Scotland defeated 2006 World Cup runners-up France 1–0 in both fixtures.

Scotland supporters are collectively known as the Tartan Army. The Scottish Football Association operates a roll of honour for every player who has made more than 50 appearances for Scotland.[8]Kenny Dalglish holds the record for Scotland appearances, having played 102 times between 1971 and 1986.[8] Dalglish scored 30 goals for Scotland and shares the record for most goals scored with Denis Law.

Scotland lost just two of their first 43 international matches. It was not until a 2–0 home defeat by Ireland in 1903 that Scotland lost a match to a team other than England. This run of success meant that Scotland would have regularly topped the Elo ratings, which were calculated in 1998, between 1876 and 1904. Scotland won the British Home Championship outright on 24 occasions, and shared the title 17 times with at least one other team.[note 1][10] A noteworthy victory for Scotland before the Second World War was the 5–1 victory over England in 1928, which led to that Scotland side being known as the "Wembley Wizards". Scotland played their first match outside the British Isles in 1929, beating Norway 7–3 in Bergen.[11] Scotland continued to contest regular friendly matches against European opposition and enjoyed wins against Germany and France before losing to the Austrian "Wunderteam" and Italy in 1931.[11]

Scotland, like the other Home Nations, did not enter the three FIFA World Cups held during the 1930s. This was because the four associations had been excluded from FIFA due to a disagreement regarding the status of amateur players.[12] The four associations, including Scotland, returned to the FIFA fold after the Second World War.[12] A match between a United Kingdom team and a "Rest of the World" team was played at Hampden Park in 1947 to celebrate this reconciliation.[12]

1950s

The readmission of the Scottish Football Association to FIFA meant that Scotland were now eligible to enter the 1950 FIFA World Cup. FIFA advised that places would be awarded to the top two teams in the 1950 British Home Championship, but the SFA announced that Scotland would only attend the finals if Scotland won the competition. Scotland won their first two matches, but a 1–0 home defeat by England meant that the Scots finished as runners-up. This meant that the Scots had qualified by right for the World Cup, but had not met the demand of the SFA to win the Championship. The SFA stood by this proclamation, despite pleas to the contrary by the Scotland players, supported by England captain Billy Wright and the other England players.[13] The SFA instead sent the Scots on a tour of North America.[14]

The same qualification rules were in place for the 1954 FIFA World Cup, with the 1954 British Home Championship acting as a qualifying group. Scotland again finished second, but this time the SFA allowed a team to participate in the Finals, held in Switzerland. To quote the SFA website, "The preparation was atrocious".[15] The SFA only sent 13 players to the finals, even though FIFA allowed 22-man squads.[16] Despite this self-imposed hardship in terms of players, the SFA dignitaries travelled in numbers, accompanied by their wives.[16] Scotland lost 1–0 against Austria in their first game in the finals, which prompted the team managerAndy Beattie to resign hours before the game against Uruguay.[17] Uruguay were reigning champions and had never before lost a game at the World Cup finals, and they defeated Scotland 7–0.[15][18]

1970s

After Tommy Docherty's brief spell as manager, Willie Ormond was hired in 1973.[20] Ormond lost his first match in charge 5–0 to England, but recovered to steer Scotland to their first World Cup finals in 16 years in 1974. At the 1974 World Cup finals in West Germany, Scotland achieved their most impressive performance at a World Cup tournament.[23] The team was unbeaten but failed to progress beyond the group stages on goal difference.[23] After beating Zaïre, they drew with both Brazil and Yugoslavia, and went out because they had beaten Zaïre by the smallest margin.[24]

During the build-up to the 1978 FIFA World Cup, MacLeod fuelled the hopes of the nation by stating that Scotland would come home with a medal.[7] As the squad left for the finals in Argentina, they were given an enthusiastic send-off as they were paraded around a packed Hampden Park.[28] Thousands more fans lined the route to Prestwick Airport as the team set off for South America.[7] Scotland's first game was against Peru in Córdoba. Two spectacular goals by Teófilo Cubillas meant that the result was a 3–1 loss. The second game was a very disappointing 1–1 draw against newcomers Iran.[7] The disconsolate mood of the nation was reflected by footage of Ally MacLeod in the dugout with his head in his hands.[29]

After taking a single point from their opening two games, Scotland had to defeat the Netherlands by three clear goals to progress.[30] Despite the Dutch taking the lead, Scotland fought back to win 3–2 with a goal from Kenny Dalglish and two from Archie Gemmill, the second of which is considered one of the greatest World Cup goals ever;[7] Gemmill beat three Dutch defenders before lifting the ball over goalkeeper Jan Jongbloed into the net.[7][31] The victory was not sufficient to secure a place in the second round, and Scotland were eliminated on goal difference for the second successive World Cup.[30]

Scotland qualified for the 1986 FIFA World Cup, their fourth in succession, in traumatic circumstances. The squad went into their last qualification match against Wales needing a point to progress to a qualifying playoff against Australia. With only nine minutes remaining and Wales leading 1–0, Scotland were awarded a penalty kick, which was calmly scored by Davie Cooper.[34] The 1–1 draw meant that Scotland progressed, but as the players and fans celebrated, Stein suffered a heart attack and died shortly afterwards.[34] His assistant Alex Ferguson took over.[20] Scotland qualified by winning 2–0 against Australia in a two-leg playoff, but were eliminated from the tournament with just one point from their three matches, a goalless draw with Uruguay following defeats by Denmark and West Germany.[35]

In July 1986, Andy Roxburgh was the surprise appointment as the new manager of Scotland.[36] Scotland did not succeed in qualifying for Euro 1988, but their 1–0 away win over Bulgaria in the final fixture in November 1987 helped Ireland to a surprise first-place finish and qualification for the finals in West Germany.[37]

1990s

Scotland qualified for their fifth consecutive World Cup in 1990 by finishing second in their qualifying group, ahead of France.[38] Scotland were drawn in a group with Costa Rica, Sweden, and Brazil, but the Scots lost 1–0 to Costa Rica.[39] While they recovered to beat Sweden 2–1 in their second game, they lost to Brazil in their third match 1–0 and were again eliminated after the first round.[39]

By a narrow margin, Scotland qualified for the UEFA European Championship for the first time in 1992.[40] A 1–0 defeat by Romania away from home left qualification dependent upon other results, but a 1–1 draw between Bulgaria and Romania in the final group match saw Scotland squeeze through.[41] Despite playing well in matches against the Netherlands and Germany and a fine win against the CIS, the team was knocked out at the group stage.[41] Scotland failed to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. The team finished fourth in their qualifying group behind Italy, Switzerland and Portugal. When it became clear that Scotland could not qualify, Andy Roxburgh resigned from his position as team manager.[42]

New manager Craig Brown successfully guided Scotland to the 1996 European Championship tournament.[42] The first game against the Netherlands ended 0–0, raising morale ahead of a much anticipated game against England at Wembley.[42]Gary McAllister missed a penalty kick, and a goal by Paul Gascoigne led to a 2–0 defeat. Scotland recovered to beat Switzerland 1–0 with a goal by Ally McCoist. England taking a 4–0 lead in the other match briefly put both teams in a position to qualify, but a late goal for the Netherlands meant that Scotland were knocked out on goals scored.[42][43]

Brown again guided Scotland to qualification for a major tournament in 1998, and Scotland were drawn against Brazil in the opening game of the 1998 World Cup.[44]John Collins equalised from the penalty spot to level the score at 1–1, but a Tom Boydown goal led to a 2–1 defeat. Scotland drew their next game 1–1 with Norway in Bordeaux,[45] but the final match against Morocco ended in an embarrassing 3–0 defeat.[42]

2000s

Scotland failed to qualify for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, finishing third in their qualifying group behind Croatia and Belgium.[42] This second successive failure to qualify prompted Craig Brown to resign from his position after the final qualifying match.[42] The SFA appointed former Germany manager Berti Vogts as Brown's successor.[47] Scotland reached the qualification play-offs for Euro 2004. Scotland beat the Netherlands 1–0 at Hampden Park, but suffered a 6–0 defeat in the return leg. Poor results in friendly matches and a bad start to the 2006 World Cup qualification caused the team to drop to a record low of 77th in the FIFA World Rankings.[48] Vogts announced his resignation in 2004,[49] blaming the hostile media for his departure.[50]

Walter Smith, a former Rangers and Everton manager, was brought in to replace Vogts. Improved results meant that Scotland rose up the FIFA rankings and won the Kirin Cup, a friendly competition in Japan.[51] Scotland failed to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, finishing third in their group behind Italy and Norway. Smith left the national side in January 2007 to return to Rangers, with Scotland leading their Euro 2008 qualification group.[52]Alex McLeish was named as Smith's successor and Scotland's twentieth manager.[53] McLeish guided Scotland to wins against Georgia, the Faroe Islands, Lithuania, France and Ukraine, but defeats by Georgia and Italy ended their chances of qualification for Euro 2008.[54] These improved results, particularly the wins against France, lifted Scotland into the top 20 of the FIFA world rankings.[3]

After the narrow failure to qualify for Euro 2008, McLeish left to join Premier League club Birmingham City.[55]Southampton manager George Burley was hired as the new manager, but he came in for criticism from the media after the team lost their first qualifier against Macedonia.[56] After Scotland lost their fourth match 3–0 to the Netherlands,[57] captain Barry Ferguson and goalkeeper Allan McGregor were excluded from the starting lineup for the following match against Iceland due to a "breach of discipline".[58] Despite winning 2–1 against Iceland,[59] Scotland suffered a terrible 4–0 defeat by Norway in the following qualifier, which left Scotland effectively needing to win their last two games to have a realistic chance of making the qualifying play-offs.[60] Scotland defeated Macedonia 2–0 in the first of those two games,[61] but were eliminated by a 1–0 loss to the Netherlands in the second game.[62] Burley was allowed to continue in his post after a review by the SFA board,[63] but a subsequent 3–0 friendly defeat by Wales led to the SFA sacking him.[64]

Gordon Strachan was appointed Scotland manager in January 2013,[70] but defeats in his first two competitive matches meant that Scotland were the first UEFA team to be eliminated from the 2014 World Cup.[71] Scotland finished their qualification section by winning three of their last four matches, including two victories against Croatia.[72][73] In UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying, Scotland appeared to have a better chance of qualification as the finals tournament was expanded from 16 teams to 24.[74] After losing their opening match in Germany, Scotland recorded home wins against Georgia, the Republic of Ireland and Gibraltar.[74]Steven Fletcher scored the first hat-trick for Scotland since 1969 in the game with Gibraltar.[75] Later in the group, Scotland produced an "insipid" performance as they lost 1–0 in Georgia.[74] A home defeat by Germany and a late equalising goal by Poland eliminated Scotland from contention.[74] After a win against Gibraltar in the last qualifier, Strachan agreed a new contract with the SFA.[76]

In qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Scotland were drawn in the same group as England, facing their rivals in a competitive fixture for the first time since 1999.[77] On 11 November 2016, England beat Scotland 3–0 at Wembley.[78] The return match saw Leigh Griffiths score two late free-kicks to give Scotland a 2–1 lead, but Harry Kane scored in added time to force a 2–2 draw.[79] A draw in Slovenia in the final game of the group ended Scottish hopes of a play-off position, and Strachan subsequently left his position by mutual consent.[80] In February 2018, Alex McLeish was appointed manager for the second time.[81]

Competitive record

FIFA World Cup

Scotland did not compete in the first three World Cup competitions, held in 1930, 1934 and 1938. FIFA ruled that all its member associations must provide "broken-time" payments to cover the expenses of players who participated in football at the 1928 Summer Olympics. In response to what they considered to be unacceptable interference, the football associations of Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales held a meeting at which they agreed to resign from FIFA.[82] The Scottish Football Association did not rejoin FIFA as a permanent member until 1946.[83] The SFA declined to participate in 1950 although they had qualified, as Scotland were not the British champions.[84]

Scotland have since qualified for eight finals tournaments,[45] including five consecutive tournaments from 1974 to 1990. Scotland have never advanced beyond the first round of the finals competition – no country has qualified for as many World Cup finals without progressing past the first round. They have missed out on progressing to the second round three times on goal difference: in 1974, when Brazil edged them out;[24] in 1978, when the Netherlands progressed;[30] and in 1982, when the Soviet Union went through.[33]

Hampden Park in Glasgow is the traditional home of the Scotland team and is described by the SFA as the National Stadium.[88] The present stadium is one of three stadiums to have used the name. Stadiums named Hampden Park have hosted international matches since 1878. The present site was opened in 1903 and became the primary home ground of the Scotland team from 1906. The attendance record of 149,415 was set by the Scotland v England match in 1937.[89] Safety regulations reduced the capacity to 81,000 by 1977 and the stadium was completely redeveloped during the 1990s, giving the present capacity of 52,000. Hampden is rated as a category four (elite) stadium within the UEFA stadium categories, having previously held the five-star status under the old rating system.[90]

Media coverage

Scotland's home matches are presently covered by the pay-TV broadcaster Sky Sports.[95][96] Television rights to away games vary, although Sky Sports also held the rights to both home and away qualifiers for Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup.[96] The arrangements to show Scotland matches on pay-TV have been criticised by the Scottish Government, who have argued that qualifying matches should be included in the list of sporting events which can only be broadcast on free-to-air television.[95][97] The SFA have argued that limiting the rights to free-to-air broadcasters would severely reduce the amount of revenue that they could generate.[98] An independent advisory panel recommended that qualifying matches played by all four Home Nations be added to the list, but UK Sports MinisterHugh Robertson deferred a decision until the completion of the digital switchover.[99]

Colours

Scotland traditionally wear dark blue shirts with white shorts and dark blue socks, the colours of the Queen's Park team who represented Scotland in the first international.[9] The blue Scotland shirt was earlier used in a February 1872 rugby international, with reports stating that "the scotch were easily distinguishable by their uniform of blue jerseys.... the jerseys having the thistle embroidered".[105] The thistle had previously been worn to represent Scotland in the 1871 rugby international, but on brown shirts.[106] The shirt is embroidered with a crest based upon the lion rampant of the Royal Standard of Scotland.

Another style often used by Scotland comprises blue shirts, white shorts and red socks. Change colours vary, but are most commonly white or yellow shirts with blue shorts.[107] From 1994–96 a tartan kit was used; this kit was worn at UEFA Euro 1996.[108]

Scotland have not always played in dark blue; on a number of occasions between 1881 and 1951 they played in the primrose and pink racing colours of Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery. A former Prime Minister, Lord Rosebery was an influential figure in Scottish football, serving as honorary President of the SFA and Edinburgh team Hearts. His colours were used most frequently in the first decade of the 20th century, but were discontinued in 1909. The colours were briefly reprised in 1949, and were last used against France in 1951. In 1900, when Scotland defeated England 4–1, Lord Rosebery remarked, "I have never seen my colours so well sported since Ladas won the Derby".[109] Rosebery colours were revived as a change kit for the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying matches.[110][111]

The current version of the crest is a roundel similar to the crest used from 1961 to 1988 enclosing a shield, with "Scotland" written on the top and "Est 1873" on the bottom. In the shield background there are 11 thistles, representing the national flower of Scotland, in addition to the lion rampant. Since 2005, the SFA have supported the use of Scottish Gaelic on the national team's strip in recognition of the language's revival in Scotland.[112]

Supporters

Scotland fans are collectively known as the Tartan Army. During the 1970s, Scotland fans became known for their hooliganism in England, particularly after they invaded the Wembley pitch and destroyed the goalposts after the England v Scotland match in 1977.[113][114] Since then, the Tartan Army have won awards from UEFA for their combination of vocal support, friendly nature and charity work.[115][116] The Tartan Army have been awarded a Fair Play prize by the Belgian Olympic Committee[117] and were named as the best supporters during the 1992 European Championship.[117] The fans were also presented with a trophy for non-violence in sport and were voted by journalists to be the best supporters for their sense of fair play and sporting spirit at the 1998 World Cup in France.[118]

Managers

From 1872 to 1953, and 1954 to 1957, the Scotland national team was appointed by a selection committee. Andy Beattie was manager for six matches in 1954 when Scotland competed at their first World Cup. After the tournament the selection committee resumed their duties, continuing until the appointment of Matt Busby in 1958. Busby was initially unable to assume his duties due to the serious injuries he sustained in the Munich air disaster.[19]

Statistically the most successful manager was Alex McLeish, who won seven of the ten games during his first spell as manager. Discounting managers who took charge of less than ten games, the least successful manager was George Burley, with just three wins in 14 games.

Last updated: Scotland v Israel, 20 November 2018. Statistics include official FIFA-recognised matches only. The SFA includes a match against a Hong Kong League XI played on 23 May 2002 in its statistical totals.[123][124]

Records

Kenny Dalglish scored a joint record 30 goals in a record 102 international appearances for Scotland between 1971 and 1986.

Kenny Dalglish holds the record for Scotland appearances, having played 102 times between 1971 and 1986. He is the only Scotland player to have reached 100 caps.[8]Jim Leighton is second, having played 91 times, a Scottish record for appearances by a goalkeeper.[8] The title of Scotland's highest goalscorer is shared by two players. Denis Law scored 30 goals between 1958 and 1974, during which time he played for Scotland on 55 occasions. Kenny Dalglish scored an equal number from 102 appearances. Hughie Gallacher as well as being the third highest scorer is also the most prolific with his 24 goals coming from only 20 games (averaging 1.2 goals per game).[125]

Scotland's 1937 British Home Championship match against England set a new world record for a football attendance. The Hampden Park crowd was officially recorded as 149,415, though the true figure is unknown as a large number of additional fans gained unauthorised entry. This attendance was surpassed 13 years later by the decisive match of the 1950 FIFA World Cup, but remains a European record.[128][129]